Oscar Piastri blames a combination of bad factors for his Australian GP crash

The McLaren driver, consequently, could not take part in the race, as his MCL40 was too damaged to be repaired in time, and he had to watch the race from the sidelines.

A despondent Piastri faced the media in Melbourne right after his crash and tried to explain what had actually happened.

He said: “We need to review fully what happened. I think I got on the kerb a little bit...

“From what we’ve seen as well, I think everything kind of reacted the way it should within the rules, but essentially I had 100 kW more power than I’ve had the whole weekend at the point that I shifted.

“When I shifted, it went into wheelspin, and given that I was on the kerb already, it was a combination of bad factors.

"Obviously it’s just very disappointing," the 24-year-old driver maintained.

He was then pressed on how much it hurt not to be able to take part in his home grand prix, Piastri responded: “A lot. It’s a shame.

"Things like that shouldn’t be happening anywhere, especially at my home race. It’s obviously even more disappointing," he concluded.

Piastri is yet to stand on the podium of his home race. He finished eighth there in 2026, his maiden Formula 1 season, and was fourth in 2024 after spinning during the race.

Mercedes' George Russell ended up winning the 2026 Australian Grand Prix from pole and in dominant fashion while his teammate Kimi Antonelli was second in the sister car as Charles Leclerc took third for Ferrari.

Piastri's teammate, Lando Norris, finished the race in fifth place. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier in Melbourne)